


Chasing a Unicorn

by truth_renowned



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-07 13:27:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8802688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truth_renowned/pseuds/truth_renowned
Summary: Peggy had to remind herself that it only had been seven years since she’d seen her parents. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Maybe that was why she had a knot in her stomach, which grew tighter with each kilometer they drove.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Since we know so little about them, I have taken creative liberties with Harrison and Amanda Carter, including Harrison’s occupation and their relationship with their daughter.
> 
> Thanks to the always wonderful geekruminations for betaing!

Peggy had to remind herself that it only had been seven years since she’d seen her parents. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Maybe that was why she had a knot in her stomach, which grew tighter with each kilometer they drove.

“My mum’s name is Amanda, and my father’s name is Harrison,” she said to Daniel, who was in the passenger seat.

“I know, Peggy. You’ve told me that three times.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

He reached over and placed his hand on her thigh. “It’s okay to be nervous. It’s been a while since you’ve seen them. I’d be nervous, too. Hell, I _am_ nervous.”

She put her hand over his. “Don’t be. My father will like you, and he’s the one you have to impress.”

“I hope so. I plan on marrying his daughter.”

She smiled and her gaze briefly went to her left hand on the steering wheel. A simple gold band with an understated diamond, presented to her at the hotel last night, which was New Year’s Eve. In typical Daniel fashion, he proposed at precisely 11:59pm so that the first kiss they shared in the new year was as an engaged couple. It was the best surprise she could have hoped for. Whether or not her parents would share her joy remained to be seen.

As she pulled up in front of the house, she couldn’t help but remember the last two cars she saw pull up in the Carter driveway. The first delivered news that changed their lives forever. The second led her away to live a life she never thought she could have, and it also drove a chasm so wide between herself and her mother that it may never close.

The front door opened and her parents stepped outside. Her mother looked much the same, handkerchief peeking out from her dress pocket, her hair the same style yet sprinkled with more gray than black now. She wore her standard proper English wife’s uniform of a modest pastel-colored dress, thick stockings, and low pumps. Her father, whose hair had been thinning years before, had even less hair now and he had several extra pounds around his belly, but he still had that infectious smile and twinkle in his eye. Peggy was thankful every day that she had inherited her father’s sharp wit and zest for life.

Peggy took a deep breath and exited the car. She heard Daniel exit as well, and she listened as the click of his crutch came closer. She stood by the car waiting for him, gauging the scene as she always did when faced with a tense situation. Her father’s smile always had the ability to put her at ease, and apparently it still worked. She walked up to her parents and hugged them both, wholeheartedly for her father and awkwardly for her mother. 

She knew her mum never had forgiven her for leaving. She doubted Amanda Carter ever would forgive her. She had lost both of her children during the war, one from death and one from non-communication. That wasn’t completely true. Peggy did write letters a few times a year, but they said so little about her life, other than she was doing well and work was busy. She wrote them more out of a sense of duty than a desire to communicate. The words were as distant as the stars.

Peggy looked at her mother, then met her father’s gaze. “Mum, Dad, I would like for you to meet Daniel Sousa.”

Daniel offered his hand to Harrison first, shaking firmly. “Sir, it’s good to meet you. Peggy has told me about your work with MI5. I’d love to hear about it, if you’re able to discuss.”

“Of course,” Harrison responded, a sincere smile on his face.

Daniel shook Amanda’s hand as well, which seemed to perplex the older woman, but Daniel either did not notice or care. “Peggy has told me about you, too, ma’am. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“It’s nice to you meet you, young man,” Amanda said, her questioning look going to Peggy, stopping briefly at her ring finger before meeting her daughter’s gaze. “To what do we owe the honor of meeting one of your gentlemen friends, Peggy?”

“Daniel and I work together.” She then made the decision to weave her arm through Daniel’s. “And as of last night, we are engaged.”

Peggy couldn't keep a wince inside as she saw her mum glance at Daniel’s crutch. It was a quick look but not fast enough to escape Peggy’s attention. She bit back a number of comments and kept a smile on her face. It never ceased to amaze her how painful it was to force a smile.

“I see,” Amanda said tightly. “That is quite a surprise.”

Her father must have sensed the tension in his wife, because he laughed. “Well, you always did know how to make an entrance, Peggy dear. Come inside, both of you, and you can tell us more.”

Harrison motioned for Peggy and her mother to go first, then for Daniel to follow them inside the house. Everyone removed their coats and placed them on the rack by the door.

“Daniel,” Harrison said, “have a seat on the couch. We’ll talk while the ladies get us some refreshments.”

Daniel gave Peggy a quick look but did as he was told as Harrison sat in a well-loved leather recliner. Peggy and her mum went into the kitchen and immediately got to work, Amanda pouring tea into a small teapot and Peggy opening boxes of biscuits. 

Peggy enjoyed the several minutes of silence, never able to do small talk with her mum. It always was awkward and usually resulted in a tiff, so she cringed when she heard her mother’s voice.

“Is it permanent?” Amanda asked.

Peggy looked at her mum, confused. “Is what permanent?”

“His… Daniel’s… injury.”

Peggy bit the inside of her bottom lip before answering, “He had half his leg amputated, so yes, I would call that permanent.”

Her mother harrumphed and they went back to preparing trays, one with tea and cups and another with the biscuits. Despite the silence, Peggy could feel disdain wafting from her mother like heat from a fire.

After less than a minute, Peggy was unable to take it anymore. She turned on her heel, facing her mother with a stern look. “What?”

“I…” Her mum looked startled but quickly recovered. “I’m just concerned. You can't blame me for wanting the best for my daughter. You do know you are committing yourself to a life with him and… his injury.”

Peggy felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. “Yes, Mum, I am willingly and fully committing myself, as you say, to a life with Daniel Sousa. I know exactly what that will entail physically with his leg.” Her voice cut like a knife and she didn’t care. “I also know that it will entail being with a man who loves me for who I am, who has been and always will be by my side no matter what, and who is one of the bravest, most thoughtful and most intelligent men I have ever known.”

Her mother looked appropriately chastised. “You do not need to be so rude, young lady.”

“I am not being rude, Mum. I am being honest. I assure you that Daniel’s injury never has and never will bother me. It does not define who he is. His actions define who he is. He is a good man. The best you will ever know.”

Her mother, cheeks flushed and mouth set in a straight line, cleared her throat. “We should rejoin the gentlemen.”

“Yes, we should.” Peggy roughly grabbed the tray, almost toppling the cups and teapot, and walked out of the kitchen.

She knew her mother was hurt by her words but it could not be helped. Her entire life, Amanda Carter had wanted to dictate what her daughter did, how she behaved. You must marry the appropriate military man, Margaret Elizabeth. Have an appropriate number of children, keep an appropriate house, and have an appropriate job, if any job at all. The only issue was that Peggy’s idea of appropriate and her mum’s idea of appropriate were diametrically different. This was one of a plethora of reasons why she’d hesitated coming home.

As she entered the living room, she plastered on a smile and set the tray on the coffee table. She sat next to Daniel on the couch, and his questioning look told her he saw through her fake smile.

“Everything okay?” Daniel asked quietly.

Peggy’s only answer was to sweeten her smile, which gave him the information he needed: Mum is driving me batty and I'm trying my best not to scream. 

He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. How was it that he knew how to calm her with just a touch of his hand?

Amanda entered and placed the tray of biscuits on the table, then set about playing the perfect hostess -- as Peggy knew she would -- by picking up the teapot and pouring and passing out cups of tea.

“Daniel was just telling me that you received a promotion, dear,” Harrison said. “You never mentioned it in any of your letters.”

“What promotion?” Amanda asked with a sharpness in her tone.

“It just happened, less than six months ago. I am the director of a new agency tasked with keeping America, and the whole world, really, safe from our enemies.”

“Well, the Nazis are gone,” her mother said. “There could not be anyone worse than that.”

Daniel and Peggy shared a smile.

“I really can't go into that, Mum. Suffice it to say that there still is evil in this world.”

Harrison nodded. “Unfortunately, there always will be. No shortage of work for you, Peggy.”

“That sounds dangerous,” Amanda said, leaving off but fully implying, ‘far too dangerous for a woman’.

Peggy nodded. “Oh, it is, but it has to be done. I have a strong team of top-notch agents, including Daniel here, who is in charge of our science unit. They make sure we have the equipment and technology we need.”

It felt good to brag about her accomplishments to her parents. For so long, she kept them in the dark about her career, wanting her father not to worry and her mother not to click her tongue in disappointment at her daughter not being a wife and mother yet. 

“One of the reasons we are here in England is to meet with the prime minister about assisting with our efforts,” Daniel offered.

Amanda gave Daniel a condescending smile, as only she could. “One does not get an audience with the prime minister, certainly not on New Year’s Day.”

“Actually,” Peggy said, looking at the grandfather clock in the corner, “we have a meeting with Prime Minister Attlee in four hours.”

Her mum let out a small gasp. “How… how is that possible? I have heard of dignitaries being turned away for months.”

“We can’t go into it,” Daniel said, “but there are some imminent threats that need to be addressed, and we need the cooperation of the British government.”

Peggy wasn’t sure but she thought she saw a hint of appreciation in her mother’s eyes. It left as fast as it flashed, but she saw it and fought to hide a smile. Apparently rubbing elbows with British dignitaries earned high marks in Amanda Carter’s scorebook. Peggy wasn’t surprised; her mum had grown up in a family where status was everything and she expected nothing less from her offspring.

The four of them spent the next hour enjoying the tea and biscuits, and engaging in idle chitchat. They discussed the weather in London and New York, Harrison’s fascination with Coney Island -- which Daniel was able to assuage since he grew up in New Jersey -- and, mostly, Peggy’s life since she left England. She talked about her work with the SSR during the war and after, and her and Howard’s work to set up SHIELD. She never referred to it by name, always calling it ‘the new agency’, as it still was in the shadows of the government. Still, she was able to say enough to pique her father’s curiosity.

“It sounds like you and Daniel are doing good work,” Harrison said with a brightness in his eyes. “I’m glad to know my daughter is in charge of our safety. I know it will be done right.”

Peggy dipped her head and smiled shyly. It had been a long time since she’d heard praise in her father’s soothing voice.

“I believe it is time for us to go,” Peggy said, rising from the couch. “We need to prepare for our meeting.”

Harrison rose from his chair. “This visit was far too short for as long as you have been gone. I do hope we will see you again soon.” 

Peggy felt a twinge of guilt at her father’s words. “Yes, I will not make it years again. I should be back in England in a few months to finalize plans with the prime minister.”

“Excellent.” Harrison turned his attention to Daniel, who was standing next to Peggy. “And you are welcome anytime as well, Daniel.”

“Thank you, sir. That means a lot.” He shook Harrison’s hand, then shook Amanda’s, punctuating them with ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’. He then turned to Peggy. “You say your good-byes. I’ll wait at the car.”

Harrison waited until the door closed behind Daniel before bringing his daughter into a tight embrace.

“While you two were in the kitchen,” he said pulling back from the hug, “Daniel formally asked me for your hand in marriage. I gave him my blessing. You have yourself a good man, my dear. A good man and, I dare say after hearing of your meeting this afternoon, a good life.”

“Yes, I do,” she said, looking into her father’s eyes. For the first time in a long time, she saw the pride he had for his daughter. That pride brought tears to her eyes. He'd said in letters how proud he was of her, but somehow seeing it in his eyes made it more real than words on stationary.

Reluctantly, she let go of her father and turned to her mother, hugging her lightly.

“You know I just want the best for you, Peggy,” her mother insisted. “I don’t want conflict. I just want you to be happy.”

Peggy broke the embrace. “Mum, I have the best job. I have the best man. I never would have dreamed this life for myself but it is everything I want and need. I am happy, truly happy. I do hope you believe me when I say that.”

Her mother smiled and nodded, but Peggy still could see the doubt clouding her eyes. 

As she left the house, closing the door behind her, Peggy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was torn with emotions: Happy to see her parents, ecstatic to know her father was proud of her, sad to know her mother still harbored the desire for her daughter to be a ‘proper wife’ with the ‘proper man’. Two out of three wasn’t bad, was it?

“That went well, I think,” Daniel said as Peggy slipped into the driver’s seat. 

She smiled, not a forced smile but a sincere one. “For the most part, yes.”

“Your father has your sense of humor.”

“Now you know who to blame,” Peggy replied with a cheeky grin. “And he genuinely liked you. I could tell.”

“Your mother… I get the feeling she didn’t like me. Or more to it, my leg.”

Peggy sighed. “I love my mother dearly, and she’s a good woman, but sometimes she can be a real wanker.”

Daniel laughed, a full-bodied chuckle, and Peggy joined in.

“I wouldn’t worry about what Amanda Carter thinks of you,” she said, knowing that she would worry enough for the both of them. 

She didn’t know why it was so important to her to get her mother’s approval. It was like chasing a unicorn, yet she still tried, despite knowing it never would happen. Peggy had learned years ago that some things -- and people -- never changed, no matter how much you wished and hoped they would. After this trip home, she was resolved to accept it and, with Daniel by her side, she knew she had a fighting chance to do just that.


End file.
